Category archives: Totally Random

This book was only bookmarked once, for sleeping. Otherwise, it was open and shut in a few short hours during an overnight stay at our cottage a few weekends ago. Are You Sleeping, a novel by Kathleen Barber, was a quick, engaging, and great read. It's the ideal book for the beach, the Muskoka chair, or a plane or train ride.
Here is the synopsis from publisher Simon & Schuster Canada:
[...]

Summer camp. Quite simply,the best place on earth. I am who I am today because of summer camp, because of the friends I met there, because of the trust and faith placed in me there, because of all it's infinite awesomeness.
I remember being dropped off my first summer for a two week stint at the ripe young age of six. I also recall clear as anything crying my cute little buck-toothed head [...]

This was one heck of a page turner and definitely should be on your summer reading list.
Having not read the first two books in the 'series' (there are seven sisters, this is one of them - hence the book series), I was bit worried I would feel like I was missing something or I would feel out of place. But nope. Not at all. Totally an awesome stand alone book, but also makes me want to read [...]

Book review of I Found You by Lisa Jewell available in Canada April 25, 2017.
I read this book, no that's not right, I devoured this book on the beach in Cuba at Christmas. This book captured me from the start and had me sitting up perched on the edge of my beach lounger with a tear in my eye captivated right to the end.
Synopsis courtesy of Simon & Schuster Canada:
"A young bride, [...]

This book, the third and final installment in Sally Christie's Mistresses of Versailles Trilogy, was a great read!
I sat down with it on a cold Saturday with a pot of tea and a fire and promptly read the first 200 or so pages and the following day, the rest. (It was helpful to also have a bad cough/cold, requiring serious couch time allowing me to indulge my book worm.)
Where the first [...]

When it comes to Christmas decor I am all about tradition. Our tree looks almost identical year after year, and each year I love taking the time to hang each and every ornament, all of which have a story. I know where (or from whom) every single one came from. With 13 married Christmases, our tree of memories gets more full each year and I love it.
Welcome to our Christmas home tour, pa[...]

Update: this change has come into effect as of January 1, 2017 and it is now law:)
A few weeks ago some news broke that got bloggers all a twitter. Why? Well, coming soon to a blog near you will be rules around how bloggers (and anyone else making claims or promoting products online) will have to do business. They have to provide full disclosure. Yes, folks - we're getting a peek behind the [...]

Where to begin with this book. Quite simply, it was lovely. But it The Light Between Oceans is more than just lovely. It is a picture book with no pictures. The words did such a beautiful job of taking you to Janus Rock I feel as thought I've been. And for more than one reason.
First, the book's synopsis:
After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Aust[...]

Book Review: Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley, published by Simon & Schuster Canada
THIS! BOOK! WAS! AMAZING! YOU! MUST! MUST! READ! IT!
Truly one of the loveliest stories I've ever read. It's a love story, but so much more. I laughed out loud more times than I can count. And not just chuckles, full on belly laugh laughing...as in, I to put my wine down laughing. I also cried[...]

Words are powerful.
We all know how much I love to dive into a new book, but this one was different. Why? Because of those powerful words on the cover.....
This book landed in my hands six weeks ago, and yet it wasn't until the other day that I opened it up and promptly devoured it. I mean that literally. I read it in one four hour sitting, no bathroom breaks, no cuppa, nothing, just page[...]

This time of year is one of my favourites. It's lilac season. Their scent is .... perfect. It also reminds me of having tea parties with my Nana in her back yard. The lilac bush in her yard was GIGANTIC.
I fill the rooms in our house with fresh bundles every couple of days until they sadly decide it's time to go for another year.
Having them in the bathroom is the best kind of 'natur[...]